It seems with the influx of skullcracker bands we’ve moved away from the darker, crustier side of hardcore that had a large following in the mid-'00s into 2010s. Deathwish was probably the biggest source of all this with bands like Cursed, Trap Them, and Pulling Teeth, to name a few.
Being from Massachusetts and surrounded by woodlands, this brooding music always scratched a certain itch for us and that’s why so many great bands of this ilk came from the northeast. Thankfully, there are still those who take influence from this style making moves in the scene and Boston hardcore’s Knelt are the newest addition to this conclave.
Founded by Nik McIntosh (Ritual Blade, Dragged, Search Warrant) and Nicholas Wolf (Severed Boy, Morne), Knelt finds two musicians who have spent their time in the scene expressing themselves through the most vicious and brutal ways they knew how.
Talking with Nik about the origins of this new project, he explained: “Knelt began in summer of 2023 after Nicholas and I had spoken several times about our mutual enjoyment for bands like Tragedy, Wolfbrigade, etc. So we said let’s jam. I had a couple riffs I had poorly written on guitar and Nick had a bunch of riffs. That ended up as 6 songs.”
Discussing their influences Nik pointed toward similar influences that carried him in some of his previous bands as he and Nicholas shared a love for the sounds of heavy yet fast and depressing bands. “We had spoken at length about bands like Tragedy, His Hero Is Gone, Wolfbrigade, Cursed and so many more.
"I had been trying to make a band like this for a really long time. I definitely steered some of my older bands in that direction but it was never like the ultimate intent. This time I wanted to go all in on the crust/neocrust thing. There’s definitely a lot of punk and hardcore and metal in it as well. Nick has past experience playing in this realm of punk with past bands like Ascend//Descend and Lunglust. We have been on the same page the whole way through and it’s been great. Very easy to work with him,” Nik stated.
When listening to their demo, which was released back in January, Cursed and even Chris Colohan’s earlier band, Left For Dead, immediately came to mind. These two bands channeled hardcore into some of the darkest realms I’ve ever seen traversed by an artist and that’s what made the records so influential. Knelt follows his playbook and has their own take on his influence, of course dishing out some crusty rhythms but then throwing in the breakdown which feels like your entire surroundings are collapsing around you.
The band was eventually rounded out this past winter with the addition of Coleman, Peter and Matthew on vocals, guitar and bass respectively. They were all interested in crafting such murky yet nimble hardcore that Nik was going for. “When I heard Coleman from his old band Fraud, I always thought he was a great vocalist. Just a real rough kinda yell, like you know it hurts but he just rips it," Nik explained.
"Peter plays in Final Gasp and he definitely is bringing some of their sound in with his insane guitar playing and his leads. It all fits though. They’re all very different kinds of bands but if you put all of our old/current bands on the same show it wouldn’t be weird."
Their 2025 demo features three songs of crust punk-influenced hardcore that is just the kind of sound the scene needs to keep it unique. There’s tons of great bands drawing from regular hardcore sounds but up north the darkness still beckons us into the wilderness. The first song, “Myths of Tomorrow,” thrusts you right into a cyclone of pounding drums and charging rhythms topped off by some Clevo hardcore styled solos to back them all up. Leading you straight for a buildup into a perfectly timed two-stepper towards the song's conclusion.
The subsequent tracks, “Faith Alone” and “Mind Collapse,” feature characteristics of classic crust and d-beat bands like Doom and Anti-Cimex with charging rhythms and heaving breaks toward the middle of the song to keep the pit kids involved. “Faith Alone” closes out on what I can only describe as a black metal influenced wail of guitars and blast beat drumming, fully capturing the vibe the band has been trying to set.
“Mind Collapse” closes out the demo with some of the hardest riffs in the band's catalog so far, lots of grinding two steps and breaks that lead into the next riff. Coleman’s vocals especially stand out as he shreds every one of his vocal chords out across the grind. Altogether the three songs leave you wanting more from this band which is everything a demo should do.
By the time Knelt had played their first show, opening for The Oracle and Prayer Position at O’Briens in Allston, they had every bit of their sound dialed in. Thanks largely to the time they had to practice and set everything up before their show, Nik described the move from practicing to playing shows as seamless. “It’s the first time I’ve ever been in a band that has had merch, physicals and a banner for the first show [laughs].
"I definitely was nervous as hell since this is something we’ve worked on for a long time but it was a good set and I felt really good about it. We ended up playing our first 3 shows within like 5 days of each other and the response was great. Everyone in the band is great at what they do and everyone was prepared."
Knelt also had pressed their demo onto a run of 100 cassette tapes through Nik’s own distribution Isolated Incidents. Now with a number of shows under their belt, including an opening slot for Dead Heat on their off day while touring with the Cavalera Conspiracy, Knelt has already earned people’s attention as a standout on any lineup.
So, things are coming together quickly for Knelt, now that their demo has given them some traction they are looking to record more songs for the future. “We’re planning to write a few more songs and then record an LP. I would like it to be out by the end of the year but it will come out when it comes out," Nik admitted.
They’re next show will be opening for Final Gasp on their tour kickoff at the Middle East Upstairs on April 28th alongside Mistress and Still Life Sounds. Knelt is also planning to hit the road this summer, announcing a Richmond, VA show opening for Blazing Tomb alongside Qualms and Spikepit and are looking to book more.
For now, keep up to date with Knelt through their social media and be sure to study their demo well to get familiar with hardcore outside of slam bands and Rival Mob clones. The scene always needs bands ready to tip the scale back into the evil that dwells within us all and that’s what Knelt intends to serve up no matter the stage.
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Knelt on social media: Instagram
